In a late-night encounter in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, two criminals wanted in the murder case of journalist Raghvendra Bajpai were shot dead by police. According to reports, the two assailants, identified as Raju alias Rizwan and Sanjay alias Aqeel, were killed during a joint operation involving the Special Task Force (STF), crime branch and local police.
The encounter reportedly took place in the Jallapur area under the jurisdiction of the Pisawan police station. Both men had been on the run since the journalist's murder and carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh each. Police had been actively searching for the shooters following the incident.
Raghvendra Bajpai murder case
Raghvendra Bajpai, a journalist based in Sitapur, was shot dead on March 8. According to family members, he received a phone call around 2 pm that day and left home. Within an hour, news of his murder surfaced. Police initially registered a case against unidentified persons, but when the local investigation yielded no progress, the case was handed over to the STF.
Shocking revelations during STF probe
As the STF investigation progressed, it uncovered a disturbing conspiracy. The main mastermind behind the murder was identified as Vikas Rathore alias Shivanand Baba, a priest at the Karyadev temple.
Investigators found that Shivanand Baba was sexually exploiting minors living at the temple. Journalist Raghvendra Vajpeyi had reportedly learned of the abuse and had begun investigating the matter. Fearing exposure and legal consequences, Shivanand Baba allegedly planned the journalist's murder to silence him.
Further revelations indicated that Shivanand Baba had hired contract killers to carry out the murder, offering them Rs 4 lakh for the job.
The case has sparked widespread outrage, highlighting both the threats faced by investigative journalists and the need for greater scrutiny of religious institutions.
